PlayStation Plus a big hit for Sony despite initial backlash

There was a minor uproar from the PlayStation crowd last year when Sony announced that PlayStation Plus would be required for online gaming on the PlayStation 4. After years of free multiplayer support on the PS3, Sony’s subscription service becoming a necessary purchase was a hard pill to swallow. But despite the initial backlash, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai has confirmed that “more than half” of PS4 owners have already signed up for PS Plus.

One way Sony has eased the pain of a yearly service charge is by providing exceptional perks for subscribers. Since the PS4 launched in November, three titles have been made available free of charge for PS Plus members: Resogun, Don’t Starve and Outlast. As the catalog expands, the volume of free content will grow, as evidenced by the massive library of free games for PS Plus members on the PS3 and PS Vita. On top of all that, a year of PS Plus is actually $10 cheaper than a year of Xbox Live.